Racecars and goldfields might have put Bathurst on the map, but it’s the long-haired Highland cattle drawing eyes in the hills behind Mount Panorama.
Northwood Scottish Highlands, a registered herd of some of the world's most distinctive cattle, is turning heads across Australia and beyond.
What began as a surprise Christmas gift has grown into a standout breeding enterprise and is now gearing up to offer the largest single sale of Scottish Highland cattle ever offered online through AuctionsPlus.
For Matt and Tracey Seaman, the Highland cattle journey began 10 years ago with a simple Christmas idea.
The plan was to surprise their daughters with ponies, but when they asked their young son if he wanted one too, his response changed everything.
“We’ve got three kids, and 10 years ago, we decided we’d get our two daughters a pony for Christmas,” Mr Seaman said.
“And when we asked our four-year-old son if he wanted a pony, he said, ‘What the hell would I want a pony for?’ So we bought him three little Highland cows and a bull instead, and it’s gone from there.”
'Haggis' pictured left, is one of the original cows purchased and still breeds successfully each year. Pic: Supplied
That light-hearted family moment quickly became a serious breeding operation. The Seamans, who both grew up on farms - Matt with Merino sheep and Tracey with beef cattle - found themselves captivated by the Highland breed's unique charm.
Their property, situated at Perthville, outside of Bathurst, NSW, became the foundation for what is now one of the most diverse Highland herds in the country.
Their charm also captivated television presenter, Grant Denyer, and his wife, television producer, Chezzi Denyer, when they moved to the region eight years ago.
So much so, the Denyers have become partners in the business and Grant recently posted a video promoting the sale.
Over the past decade, Northwood has bred 80 to 100 Highland calves a year. Their approach has been purposeful, balancing visual appeal with genetic depth.
“We’ve just ended up breeding Highlands because it’s almost a lifestlye industry, as silly as that sounds,” Mr Seaman said. “But it’s nice to be involved in more of a recreational livestock industry.”
With four distinct breeding units on the property, each supported by purchased purebred bulls, the stud has developed an impressive variety of colours, horn shapes and desirable, safe, temperaments.
“There’s so much genetic variation in colours and horns and sizes in Highlands,” Mr Seaman explained.
“But until you get a bigger number of breeders, you don’t get the opportunity to express those characteristics.”
Colour of stock available in the upcoming auction range from Brindle, Silver Dun, Dun, Black, Red, Apricot and Blonde. Pic: Northwood Highlands Facebook
Among their standout breeding successes is a pure white Highland calf - an extreme rarity, even after years of focused breeding.
“We’ve bred hundreds of calves, and we’ve only ever got one pure white,” Mr Seaman said.
The stud has also produced its first “Parti” Highland, a red cow splashed with white markings, which Mr Seaman described as “really, really rare”, and will be ready for sale next year.
Interest in the Northwood Highland cattle stretches well beyond traditional cattle buyers.
The animals’ distinctive looks and calm temperaments have made them popular in unconventional markets.
“There’s strata managers in Queensland that want something interesting in the paddocks on their gated community,” Mr Seaman said.
“We’ve had people who want them for therapy animals, and we’ve had people looking for what they call paddock puppies.”
Despite this variety in buyer interest, the stud also draws serious attention from experienced breeders looking to add genetic diversity and quality to their herds.
International inquiries have steadily grown as word spreads of Northwood’s breeding program and its rare offerings.
The upcoming Inaugral Northwood Scottish Highland Sale represents a major milestone for the stud and the breed’s presence online.
With 65 head catalogued including weanlings, yearlings, proven breeding females and bulls, this is the largest single offering of Highland cattle on AuctionsPlus to date.
“These are once-in-a-lifetime cattle,” Mr Seaman said.
“A breeder might only ever see one of these animals in their herd over many years. That’s what we’re offering in this sale.”
The sale will be conducted exclusively online via AuctionsPlus, with Marcus Schembri of Nutrien Ag Solutions, Bathurst, as the appointed agent.
Bidding will open on Friday, August 1, 2025, and close on Sunday, August 3.
Looking ahead, Mr Seaman said the goal is continual improvement.
“We want to keep the quality improving and run the generations through,” he said.
“Each time we offer animals, we want to offer something different and better than what we did before.”
View the full catalogue here.
